Contact lenses have been popular for many years as an alternative to glasses for the correction of the vision of a wearer. Initially, the purpose of the contact lens was, among other things, to eliminate the lenses and frames of traditional glasses, which many people considered to be unsightly, and to be substantially anonymous during use. Thus, such lenses were clear so as to be invisible under all but the closest examination.
More recently, contact lenses that can change the apparent color of the irises of a wearer have become popular. In general, these contact lenses have clear central portions that overlie a wearer's pupils and a translucent or textured colored or tinted portion that surrounds the central portion and overlies the wearer's irises. The tinted portion can be blue, green, brown, or another natural eye color and can be patterned to simulate the structure of a real iris. Some examples of such contact lenses are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,867,552 of Neefe, 4,971,433 of Neefe, 5,018,849 of Su et al., 5,120,121 of Rawlings et al., and 4,558,931 of Fuhrman. The purpose of the lenses of each of these patents is to present the appearance of a natural eye and to mask as much as possible the fact that the wearer is even wearing contacts. Further, each of these lenses is provided with a clear unobstructed central portion positioned to overlie the pupil of a wearer both to simulate a natural pupil and to allow the wearer to see clearly through the lens. In many cases, the iris portions are designed to allow the structure of the wearer's irises to show through the lens for an even more natural appearance.
In some cases, contact lenses have been tinted or silvered to block dazzling or harmful light and thus to act as sunglasses. The lenses disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,059,018 of Kanome et al. and 4,669,834 of Richter are examples of such lenses. In the case of Kanome et al, a number or other insignia may be embedded within the tinted portion of the lens to render the lens easy to find if dropped and as an indication of the front and back of the lens. However, is intended that the insignia not be visible during use and it is thus printed in a non-contrasting tint and is small relative to the area of the lens.
Even though contact lenses meant to appear natural when worn have been available, the inventor perceives a desire among certain groups of the public for a contact lens whose very purpose and intent is not to present a natural eye appearance but instead to present a wholly unnatural, surprising, and attention attracting appearance. It is to the provision of such a contact lens that the present invention is primarily directed.